Side outlets for bag elevators



M y 8 1 956 I J. J. SHIELDS 2,744,616

SIDE OUTLETS FOR BAG ELEVATORS Filed Feb. 13, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 N V EN TOR. JK/VEJ J/msa 06 May 8, 1956 J, J, SHIELDS 2,744,616

I SIDE OUTLETS FOR BAG ELEVATORS Filed Feb. 15, 1955 2 sheets-Sheet 2 3, .37 BY M 38 W lira/Mfr Uniw [Saw Patfi 2,744,616 7 SIDE OUTLETS" FOR BAG ELEVATORS James J. Shields, Denver, Colo.

Application February 13, 1953, Serial No. 336,736

Claims. (Cl. 198-127) This invention relates to a bag elevator of the type in which bags are gripped between two series of powerdriven rollers on inclined frames, and has for its principal object the provision of a highly efiicient device which will enable bags to be discharged from the conveyor at predetermined and selected elevations. The invention might be termed a side outlet for bag elevators.

Another object is to provide a side outlet for bag elevators which will not interfere with the normal operation of the bag elevator, and which will convey the bags from the conveyor to any desired discharge point.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efiiciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a fragmentary side view of a portion of a conventional power-driven roller-type bag elevator, illustrating the invention in place thereon;

Fig. 2 is a face view of the lower elevator member, looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the lower elevator member, taken on the line 33, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detail section through one extremity of a gate roller employed in the invention, taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 2.

Bag elevators of the type to which this invention applies employ an inclined upper roller frame and a similarly inclined lower roller frame 11. The upper frame 10 is provided with a plurality of spaced pressure rollers 12, each of which is provided with chain sprockets 14 at its opposite extremities. The rollers 12 are driven in series through the medium of a plurality of endless drive chains 13 which are trained about the sprockets 14 of the successive pairs of adjacent rollers at alternating opposite extremities of the rollers. The rollers and their sprockets are usually rotatably mounted on axle tubes which surround connecting bolts 15 extending between the side members of the rollers frame 10. The lower roller frame 11 is similarly provided with conveyor rollers 16 similarly mounted on axle tubes 46 carried on connecting bolts 17 extending between the side members of the frame 11. The conveyor rollers 16 are also connected and driven by means of a plurality of drive chains 18 similar to the chains 13 previously described, and operating over chain sprockets 19 mounted on the rollers 16, similarly to the sprockets 14 on the rollers 12.

The improved side outlet is applied to the lower roller frame 11 and employs two hinged side gate frame members 20, there being one frame member 20 positioned inside of and adjacent each of the side members of the lower roller frame 11. The side gate frame members 20 are stiffened by means of stiffening bars 45 and are I 2,744,616 Patented May 8, 1956 2 hingedly mounted on a hinge shaft 21 rotatably supported in suitable bearings 22 on the side members of the lower roller frame 11. y

A hinge roller 23 is fixedly mounted on the hinge shaft 21 and is connected by one of the drive chains 18 to the sprocket 19 of the next lowermost conveyor roller 16. A plurality of gate rollers 24 are rotatably mounted on spacing tubes 48 which surround tie bolts 25 which extend in parallel relation between the gate frame members 20. The gate rollers 24 are provided with chain sprockets 47 at their opposite extremities and are driven in succession from each other and from the hinge roller 23 by means of gate drive chains 26 trained about the sprockets 47.

Power is transmitted from the hinge shaft 21 to the conveyor roller 16 above the side outlet through the medium of an endless by-pass transmission chain 27 extending from a drive sprocket 28 on the hinge shaft 21 to a driven sprocket 29 secured on a roller shaft 30 journalled in suitable anti-friction bearings 31 on the side members of the roller frame 11 and extending across the frame 11 above the uppermost gate roller 24. The lowermost conveyor roller 16 above the outlet is fixedly mounted on the shaft 30 to rotate therewith and transmit power to the conveyor rollers 16 thereabove through the medium of the drive chains 18.

v inwardly and upwardly into alignment with the roller frame 11 and latched in alignment by means of a horizontal, liftable latch bar 33; The latch bar 33 is positioned to engage latching notches 34 in the extremities of latch members 35 permanently mounted on the extremities of the gate frame members 20, and is carried between two latch arms 36 which are fixedly secured on a latch shaft 37. The latch shaft 37 is rotatably mounted in supporting ears 38 on the roller frame 11 and may be rotated by means of a hand lever 43 to lift the latch bar 33 from the latching notches 34.

The weight of the gate frame members 20 and their associated rollers is counter-balanced by means of counterweights (not shown) positioned at some convenient point throughout the length of the roller frame 11, and connected to the gate frame members 20 by means of counterweight cables 40 extending from attachment clips 41 on the gate frame members 20 and over guide pulleys 42 on the roller frames 11. Suitable hand grips 39 are mounted on the gate frame members 20 to facilitate opening and closing the gate.

It can be seen that if the gate frame members 20 are in the closed or broken line position, the bags, indicated at 44, will be conveyed upwardly on the incline of the conveyor past the gate section, since the gate rollers 24 are rotating in unison with the conveyor rollers 16.

It can also be seen that if the gate is unlatched and swung to the open, solid line position of Fig. l, the bags 44 will tilt outwardly as they pass the hinge roller 23 and will drop onto the gate rollers 24 and be conveyed over the free end of the gate. The invention is particularly useful where the bag elevator extends upwardly through several floors of the building. By installing one of the above described side outlets on each floor any desired bags may be discharged on any desired floor.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A side outlet device for a bag elevator of the type having an inclined bag-supporting roller frame consisting of two parallel side members with a series of powerdriven spaced-apart conveyor rollers extending horizon tally and transversely between said side members, comprising: two hinged gate frame members, there being one gate frame member hinged to and positioned parallel to each of said side members; gate rollers mounted on and extending between said gate frame members in parallel relation to and normally in alignment with and forming an intermediate roller section in said series of conveyor rollers; and means for swinging said hinged gate members downwardly from said side members to an open position so as to swing said gate rollers out of alignment with said series of conveyor rollers so that a bag traveling up said series of rollers, when said roller section is in the open position, will be conveyed on said gate rollers out of the line of travel of said series.

2. A side outlet device for a bag elevator as described in claim 1 having power transmission means for rotating said gate rollers from said conveyor rollers; and a second power transmission means for driving the conveyor rollers above said intermediate roller section from the conveyor rollers below said intermediate section.

3. A conveyor system comprising: an upwardly inclined, power-driven roller conveyor; an upper roller frame positioned in parallel relation to the upper face of said roller conveyor and acting to support articles on the upper face of said conveyor, said conveyor having an elongated open section intermediate the extremities of the conveyor; an elongated gate roller conveyor member hingedly mounted adjacent its one extremity to said conveyor below said open section and adapted to close said open section to complete said conveyor, and adapted to swing in a downward direction so as to project horizontally from the lower side of said inclined conveyor to form a conveyor platform; and means for supporting said gate roller conveyor member on said conveyor.

4. A bag elevator comprising: an upper inclined frame; a lower inclined frame, said frames consisting of two parallel, spaced-apart side members; a series of parallel, spaced conveyor rollers mounted between the side members of said lower frame; a similar series of parallel, spaced press rollers in said upper frame adapted to press a bag against the conveyor rollers of said lower frame; a hinge shaft extending between the side members of said lower frame, one of said conveyor rollers being mounted on said hinge shaft; a roller shaft extending between the side members of said lower frame, one of said conveyor rollers being mounted on said roller shaft, said hinge and roller shafts being spaced-apart a greater distance than the remaining conveyor rollers in said series to provide a side outlet space in said series; two side-gate frame members hingedly mounted on said hinge shaft and extending on each side of said outlet space; a plurality of gate rollers mounted between said side gate members; means for locking said side gate frame members in alignment with the side members of said lower frame so that said gate rollers will normally form a continuation of said series of conveyor rollers across said outlet space; and means for supporting said side gate frame members and said gate rollers in a lowered position out of alignment with the side members of said lower frame so that a bag traveling upwardly between said press rollers and said conveyor rollers will be directed outwardly from its normal path onto said gate rollers.

5. A bag elevator as described in claim 4 having power means driving said hinge shaft; a first power transmission means between said hinge shaft and said gate rollers for driving the latter; and a second power transmission device between said hinge shaft and said roller shaft for driving the conveyor rollers above said side outlet space.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS l,849,045 Wolf Mar. 8, 1932 2,159,851 Hicks May 23, 1939 2,368,414 Eggleston Jan. 30, 1945 2,490,381 Shields Dec. 6, 1949 

